European Union has finally decided to mercilessly fight the widespread problem of electronics equipment being designed to break down after a set amount of time, with no easy and cheap repairs possible.

Date of expiration for equipment

European Union has finally decided to mercilessly fight the widespread problem of electronics equipment being designed to break down after a set amount of time, with no easy and cheap repairs possible. Often, your new TV, washing machine or microwave suddenly break down just after the warranty period, and then it turns out the price of repair is higher than just buying a new one!

The EP Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) has completed work on a report on how to extend the life of electronic products. This is because experts are alerting that the life cycle of consumer electronics and home appliances is significantly shorter with every new year.

Electronics equipment will stay working for longer

• This shouldn’t happen, as newer and newer technologies allowing for equipment to work longer are developed, and yet it’s the other way around. The IMCO committee report clearly says that small electronics such as powered toothbrushes, battery powered toys or smartphones usually break after just 1-2 years of use.
• Computers “live” 3-4 years, and bigger appliances such as vacuum cleaners, dishwashers or washing machines last 5-6 years. TVs and refrigerators will last 7 to 10 years, and home installed equipment such as boilers or solar panels might last over a decade.

Electronics equipment will not break as often

The manufacturers aim to increase consumption with those actions. The EU will want to support both manufacturers and customers in this war for the right to repair.

The improvement is supposed to come through increasing equipment recycling, which will lower production cost of new products and prolong their time of normal operation. Devices that cannot be repaired will be withdrawn from the market and blocked.

The EU has already initiated a program for informing customers about the expected lifespan through stickers present on the equipment, so that customers know more about the equipment they’re about to buy, and so that manufacturers start fighting to build the best products possible.

The European Parliament points out that repair creates new workplaces. The IMCO report indicates that even just 1% of growth in the repair field will increase the GDP in the whole EU by 7.9 billion euro annually.

Joshua Thomas

Author at DL2go.eu | joshua.thomas@interia.com | Website

I will never forget my first computer. I was interested in new possibilities just as much as the computer itself. This fascination was so strong that I became NERD in a second 🙂 I am an IT technician by profession. Before I started my own laptop repair service, I gained experience for 8 years. My friends keep asking me:
„Hey Joshua, which computer is better for gaming?”, „I can't pick the graphics card, help me!” , „What do you think about off lease computers?” e.t.c.
That's why I got used to giving advice. And just to be honest - I like it very much. So I decided to share my knowledge with other people in need.